


a pinch of salt

by SydneyHorses



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Getting Together, M/M, Potion Brewer!Felix, Sylvix Week 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:13:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26575051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SydneyHorses/pseuds/SydneyHorses
Summary: Felix and Annette run a small magic shop, one where Annette sells charms and predictions and Felix deals in potions. It's a simple, enjoyable life, and Felix is content to keep everything the way it is until the day that Sylvain Jose Gautier walks through the door. Suddenly, his normal routines don't seem so satisfying anymore.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 6
Kudos: 68





	a pinch of salt

**Author's Note:**

> this is my day 1 fic for sylvix week w/ the prompt 'urban fantasy!' i had a ton of fun writing it, and i hope you enjoy!!! the fabulous art (which will be posted soon) is done by @Bringmemisery on twitter - go check her stuff out, it's amazing!!
> 
> thanks to mars for editing i love you <3

The Fraldarius-Dominic Potion Shop and Apothecary is small, nestled in the living room of their apartment in lieu of an actual storefront. They always talk about expanding, but secretly, Felix likes it the way it is. It’s cozy, and it means that a fresh cup of tea or a snack is only a few steps away.

It also makes it much easier to brew potions in general, and to let Annette handle the storefront. She’s better at it by far, and besides, who wouldn’t want to see someone as charming and lovely as Annette when they come in? Felix is more likely to chase away all their customers.

He’s hard at work when Annette interrupts him, sitting on the floor with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and trying to parse out the poorly written instructions inside the book laid beside him. There’s a large black cauldron in front of him, placed in the middle of the kitchen floor with a plume of blue-grey smoke rising from it. The potion he’s working on isn’t turning out quite right, but he grits his teeth and keeps working anyways.

“Felix?” Annette pops her head into the kitchen, peering around the corner. Her hair is down today, curling loose around her shoulders. She’s beautiful, in the very half-hearted way that Annette is always beautiful. Felix has tried to get her to go out more, but every time he suggests it she just points out that he never leaves the apartment, and then it dissolves into a useless argument.

“Annette.” He doesn’t look up from the potion, eyes narrowed as he waits for the bubbles in the potion to die down.

“We have a customer,” she says.

“Isn’t that your job?” A bubble in the potion pops. Felix makes a pleased noise and sprinkles some usnea into it.

“He’s asking about a specific potion! I said we didn’t stock it, but he insisted. I figured you could just tell him yourself.”

Felix sighs and puts his wooden spoon across the top of the pot so that it won’t boil over, just like his mother taught him. He stands, dusting off his apron. He hates wearing the damn thing, but he got a corrosive poison on his shirt once that burned through the fabric and into his skin, and ever since then Annette has insisted on him wearing an apron. It’s ridiculous, but if it keeps her happy, he supposes it’s not the end of the world.

He heads over to the door, stepping carefully around the myriad of potion ingredients scattered over the floor. The small, cramped front room of the apartment isn’t much cleaner. On top of being the storefront, it’s also Annette’s workroom, and there's pieces of materials for the charms she specializes in strewn all over the room. Her booth for future sight is set up there too, with a hand painted sign proudly proclaiming that she sees all.

On the other side of the low table that serves as their makeshift counter stands a tall redhead. He’s wearing an oversized shearling jacket, and is looking around the shop with a wide-eyed expression. Felix hasn’t seen such blatant wonder in a long time, and despite himself, it endears this stranger to him.

“What do you want?”

The man straightens up. “Ah! You must be Felix. I’m Sylvain. A friend of a friend recommended your shop.”

Felix arches an eyebrow. “And?”

“Right.” Sylvain rubs the back of his neck. “I need a potion. Annette said you didn’t sell it, but, well.” He pauses. “I really need it.”

Felix crosses his arms. “I’m not mixing you a poison.”

Sylvain laughs. “No, that’s not what I want.” He clears his throat. “I, um, I need a love potion.”

“I don’t make those,” Felix snaps. “I’m not helping you convince some girl to go out with you.” He steps forward, fully intending to kick Sylvain out and tell him to never come back again.

“No, that’s not-” Sylvain sighs. “That’s not what I want it for. It’s for me.”

Felix arches an eyebrow. “What, are you that narcissistic? I’m not making you a love potion. Besides, how do I know if you’re telling the truth?”

“Right.” Sylvain’s mouth twists, and he looks down at his feet. “I guess so.”

An unwanted burst of pity goes through Felix. Sylvain looks so dejected that he’s half tempted to cave and make the potion anyways, but he doesn’t. Instead, he sighs. “Is there anything else I can make you?”

“Um,” Sylvain drags his gaze up off the floor. “Yeah, I guess so. I killed one of my roommate’s plants. Can you make something that would help fix it?”

Felix isn’t great at smiling, but he tries nonetheless. “Sure. Give me just a sec.”

He heads into the kitchen, standing on his tiptoes to reach up to the top shelf of the cabinet and pull down a bottle filled with a pale blue liquid. He walks back out into the main room, pouring the potion into a small vial and then carefully inserting a cork into it. He hands the vial to Sylvain, trying not to flinch when warm fingers brush up against his.

“There,” he says. “Happy?”

Sylvain laughs. “With you here? Of course.”

Felix’s cheeks warm, and his scowl deepens. “I’m not giving you a discount if you flirt with me.”

Sylvain leans forward, resting his palm on the table and peering down at Felix. “Aw, really? What if I ask nicely?”

From behind him, Annette giggles. Felix shoots her a dirty look over his shoulder and she waves. Felix narrows his eyes. “No. Flirting doesn’t work on me.”

Sylvain’s grin widens, and Felix regrets his words immediately. “It doesn’t work on you, huh?” He drops the money onto the counter, then winks at Felix. “We’ll see about that.” He picks up the potion and sweeps out of the room, leaving Felix staring after him.

Annette walks up next to him and rests a hand on his forearm. “Well, he seemed nice!”

“Mm.” Felix shakes Annette’s hand off of him and heads back to his potion waiting in the kitchen. “We’ll see.”

-

Next week, like clockwork, Sylvain comes by. Felix is reworking some potions in the combination office/storefront, listening to Annette blather on with the customers. He loves her voice, and even if she doesn’t sing while the shop’s open, sometimes she hums under her breath when there’s no one there, and that’s almost good.

Besides, it’s nice just to be in the same room as Annette. There’s never been anyone whose company he’s loved in the simple, uncomplicated way in which he loves hers. Even Dimitri, his best friend since childhood, is often difficult for Felix to be around for more than a few days at a time.

But Annette? He could never get tired of Annette.

The door to the apartment opens, and Felix looks up just as a shock of red hair ducks under the doorway. He smiles before he can help it, then gets annoyed at himself for smiling and looks back down at his notes instead.

Annette greets Sylvain, then calls for him. “Felix! Sylvain is asking for you. Says he needs a complicated potion.”

Felix rolls his eyes, but stands nonetheless and heads over to the counter. “Now what? Not another semi-illegal potion, I should hope?”

“Nah.” Sylvain grins, and Felix pretends to ignore the warmth that his smile brings. “I just wanted to see you.”

It’s a stupid pick up line, and it’s even more idiotic that it makes Felix’s face feel hot. “Sure you did. What do you want?”

Sylvain pauses. “I need something to keep the squirrels off my balcony,” he says. “Is there a potion for that?” Felix crosses his arms. “No. Unless you want me to poison some squirrels, which I’m absolutely not doing.”

“Okay, okay.” Sylvain cocks his head to the side almost like a dog, and Felix tries to ignore how painfully endearing it is. “Something to make me happier!”

Felix arches an eyebrow. “Antidepressants?”

“I’ve already got those,” Sylvain quips. “But no, you’re right. Okay, wait, I’ve got it! Something that I can slip into my roommate’s cereal to give him good luck! He’s up for a promotion at work, and he really deserves it. It has to be tasteless though, the guy’s got crazy-sharp taste buds.”

Felix sighs. “I can do that.”

Sylvain’s answering smile is so bright it’s painful. “Great!” He waits for Felix to make the potion, and when Felix hands over the vial, he winks at him. “You’re awfully talented, you know.”

“That’ll be thirty dollars,” Felix says, praying his voice stays even.

Sylvain hands him thirty five. “So, is there anything else you’re especially good at?”

“Poisons,” Felix says flatly, although that’s a blatant lie. Claude is the only poison mixer he knows, and he refuses to sell them.

Sylvain takes his change with a grin. “Huh. Neat. You should tell me more about it sometime.” He takes his potion and leaves, while Felix watches him walk away with burning cheeks.

After a few weeks, it becomes routine. Every Thursday Sylvain comes by and asks for a highly specific, slightly ridiculous potion, and every week Felix makes it with minimal complaint. Sylvain leans across the counter and flirts obnoxiously, and Felix blushes and pretends that he doesn’t like it.

It’s a nice routine, and it’s one that Felix is loath to change, for fear that it could all go wrong.

-

On the fifth week, Sylvain doesn’t come.

Felix doesn’t care. He doesn't. It’s stupid of him to even notice. Annette points it out, and Felix does a truly terrible job of lifting his head from his work and pretending like he didn’t let her braid his hair this morning for expressly the purpose of seeing Sylvain today.

It’s fine. They barely know each other. Sylvain was probably just hitting on him as a joke.

“I’m sorry,” Annette says. She takes a seat on the bench next to Felix, pressing her shoulder against his.

“It’s fine,” he snaps. She frowns, and he leans into her weight at his side to show that he’s not mad. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She sighs, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Men, am I right?”

He laughs. “Annette, you’re a lesbian.”

She scoffs. “I can still make fun of men.”

His smile lingers long after his laugh is gone. “I guess so.” He rests his head on top of hers, and they sit like that until the ache in Felix’s chest dissipates.

-

Week six rolls around, and Felix has given up on Sylvain ever coming back. He’s resigned to his fate, truly, and determined never to flirt with any of the customers ever again. He’s holed up in his room today, copying some of his mother’s old recipes into his own potion book. It’s something he’s been working on for years and will likely never completely finish, but he likes the repetition of it. It’s soothing, and makes him think of a time before she was gone.

A gentle knock on the door startles him, and he jumps, shaking his head away from thoughts of his mother’s perfume and the sound of her laugh.

He stands, yanking open the door. “Annette, it had better be an emergency or-” he cuts himself off as he comes face to face with Sylvain.

“Ah, I’m afraid it’s not an emergency,” Sylvain says. “Although, I’m not Annette, so maybe that’ll make up for it?”

“It’s you,” Felix says, trying to hide the surprise he’s sure is tainting his voice. “I thought you’d stopped coming.”

Sylvain smiles ruefully. “So you noticed?”

Felix crosses his arms. “You’ve been coming by every week at the same time for a month. You stay for too long, you hit on me until I forget what I was doing, and then you leave. Of course I’m going to notice.”

Sylvain’s smile turns joyous. “I didn’t think you would.”

Felix turns his face to the side, trying to quell the furious blush on his cheeks. “How could I not?” He bites the inside of his cheek. “Why didn’t you come?” The question slips out, just shy of desperation.

“I didn’t know what to get,” Sylvain says. “I kept trying to think of something, and I didn’t have any ideas, and then I realized that I’d spent a lot of money on potions that I was never actually going to use.”

Felix narrows his eyes. “Are you telling me you never used any of those potions in the first place?”

“Well.” Sylvain rubs the back of his neck. “I used the first one. Then, you see, I got a little distracted by the handsome potion maker, and my other plans kind of fell through the window.”

Handsome? Felix crosses his arms. “Hmph.”

“I wanted to keep seeing you,” Sylvain explains. “I just didn’t know how to go about it. I thought maybe if I spent enough money here, that’d, you know, endear me to you or something.”

“That’s pretty stupid,” Felix says.

Sylvain laughs, the corners of his eyes squinting. It’s handsome - happiness looks good on him. “What can I say? I’m stupid for you.” He steps closer, his hand reaching out and resting on Felix’s upper arm.

“Are you now?” Felix asks dryly. Sylvain is smiling down at him, looking so earnest it’s practically painful. His mouth twists. “I guess there’s worse things.”

Sylvain’s smile turns smug, and he drops a hand to Felix’s waist. “Felix,” he says, sounding very serious all of a sudden. “Will you go out with me?”

Ugh. Now he’s going to woo him? Ridiculous. Felix can’t believe he’s going to go out with him. “Of course,” he snaps. “I wouldn’t let you touch me like this if I was planning on saying no.”

Sylvain laughs. The hand on Felix’s waist is large and warm, and he finds that he doesn’t want it to go anywhere. With a sigh, Felix glances over Sylvain’s shoulder. The door is closed, and Annette likely won’t be back for a while longer. Hesitantly, almost like he’s afraid it might scare Sylvain away, Felix slides his arms around Sylvain’s neck. “Hey,” he says, his cheeks warming.

Sylvain’s bright, surprised smile is even better than Felix had imagined. “Hey.” His other hand comes to rest on Felix’s waist, both holding him there securely. Felix finds that he likes it, much to his surprise. It feels… safe, he supposes.

Still blushing bright red, Felix tips his head back to look up at Sylvain. “Sylvain,” he says, his voice low and serious, “can I kiss you?”

Sylvain’s warm brown eyes light up, and without a moment’s pause he leans down to press his lips against Felix’s. It’s chaste and brief, and Felix stretches up after him as soon as Sylvain pulls back. “How’s that for an answer?” Sylvain whispers.

“Mm.” Felix’s tongue darts out to lick at his bottom lip. “I didn’t quite hear you. Tell me again?”

Sylvain laughs, then tightens his arms around Felix, leans down, and kisses him again.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter @edelgardlesbian !!


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